Smoke and Mirrors: Who We Are
by TimeHappens
Summary: Vivian is scared, like all demigods are. Her mother just died. The problem is, her mother was the god. She must take her place, or be killed.
1. New Beginnings

There was a lot of pain and hurt that night. Lots of crying. I was in the most pain. I'd lost everything now. Not that stupid brother of mine. He just snickered at death. Well, little brother, I will snicker at your deathbed. I will laugh, and cheer, and dance over your grave. I don't care how much bad luck I get. I just wanted to punch him in the face.

"We will miss you gravely, my sweet mother." I whispered, putting a yellow rose onto her casket. Tears rolled down my face like raindrops on a window pane.

"Good luck, my sister. Let Hades treat you well..." A younger man said, putting a pink rose on her casket.

"It's supposed to be yellow." I muttered.

"But what's the fun of being the same, Vivian?" He smiled, and laughed a beautiful carefree laugh.

"Respect." I mumble, looking away. I was probably blushing under all the thick makeup I wore.

"This is respect, my dear. Her favorite color was pink. Everyone did that but you. Her lovely daughter!" He snickered, half-heartedly. Surely enough, all the other roses were pink, except for the one I just put down.

"Like you would know her." I retorted.

"Where do you think she was all the time, sweetie? Working? What'd she tell you she did? Lawyer? Actor? Astronomer?" He asked me with heavy sarcasm, his beautiful smiling fading.

"She didn't have a job. She was just gone, okay? Getting drunk all the time. But I loved her still. Unlike someone." I muttered, looking over to Nick.

"He's just confused, and he doesn't understand. He doesn't understand she won't come back. He thinks she will." He looked at him also, and stared at him distastefully.

"Why?"

"Because…. Um, Viv, this isn't the place to talk…. I will see you soon. I promise. Good luck….." He kissed my forehead, and after I blinked, he was gone.

"Um, Vivian? Are you okay?" Connor, my cousin asked.

"No." I cried out in pain, as the world went black.

"I told you I'd see you soon." A familiar voice laughed as I awoke.

We weren't home in the little town I call Miami. We were somewhere really far away, where the buildings were made of pure marble and gold. Somewhere far away from the ground, and I shuddered in fear.

"Where am I?" I whispered, scared. Wanting to leave, go back to the place I was, and just never leave. Freeze in time.

"Where are you? My dear, sweet girl! You should know this place by heart!" The man exclaimed, face lighting and dimming as he said the words.

"I've never been here." I muttered, still awed by the scenery.

"Well, maybe you don't remember… It's been some time…"

"Okay… Um, who are you?" I demanded, even though I probably sounded scared.

"Who am I? Vivian, I think you need to ask yourself that! Who are you?" He smiled, loving the expression on my face.

"I am Vivian Karina Stoll. I'm 13 years old, and confused. I lost everything before I could change it. I have brown hair, gray eyes, I'm 5 foot 3, and I-I'm daughter of Cynthia Stoll."

"Are you now? Hmmm, well, I think we will have to look into that farther." He loved confusing me, I guess.

"I just want to know your name!" I muttered. "Look, if your going to do nothing for me bring me back to my mom…. My mom's funeral!" I yelled now.

"Helios, Apollo." He mumbled. He looked mad now.

"I'm-I'm sorry, okay? I'm just… Not in the mood right now. I'm really sorry, Apollo…. Wait, like _the_ Apollo! Like in the myths?"

"Myths! Ha!" He scoffed. "I'm offended! I'm not a myth, now am I?"

"No, no… I presume no." I mumbled.

"Now, why is Cynthia important in Greece?" He asked, and raised his eyebrows.

"Hmm… Something about Artemis or something? Right?" I laughed.

"Yes, yes." He muttered.

"And you say this because…" I asked, but then it clicked. One time I'd read that Artemis was also called Cynthia sometimes. "My gods. Was she… No, it can't be."

"But it is." He whispered, looking into the sky.

"But like, gods can't die, right? How did she… Er, die." I muttered.

"She didn't die. She uh, faded."

"Faded? Will she come back? Will she? Can she?" I stuttered.

"Maybe. Reincarnation? It's a possibility… She always knew how to make an entrance…" He sighed.

"Look, I know she's your sister and all… But how do you know me…?" I mumbled.

"How do you think you have luck? It's from me! I'm the god of prophecies!"

Then, I tried to think when I had luck.

"If I have so much luck, why do I have no one?"

"Because you're the one who knows how to survive alone, my girl. You were always destined to be like…"

"Be like whom?" I asked. But it was too late the scene was fading.

"See you soon." He finally faded, and I was alone. All alone.


	2. Memories

2. Cynthia Stoll killed in car accident.

Cynthia Stoll, 33, was drowned in car pile up on June 12. The drunk driver, Greg Marcco, was arrested and sent to prison for 30 years. Also, Vivian Stoll and Nick Stoll will be put into foster care in the next week. We will all miss Cynthia dearly, and best regards to her family.

By: Semreh Shield

"Ugh!" I screamed, throwing the news paper at the wall.

I sat there and cried and cried, remembering the day…

Time flies by so fast, and then there's no looking back. Just always stay with your head high, and no one will cross you, I thought to myself as I walked down Times Square with my dad.

"Vivy! C'mon, we're going here." He looked frightened, and sounded the same.

"Relax, Dad! I'm coming! Gosh!" I sighed, jogging up to him.

"Let's go." He pushed me forward.

As soon as we walked in, I knew we were screwed.

"KEEP YOUR HANDS UP AND NO ONE WILL GET HURT." The man in all black, with skin almost the same tone, a deep voice, said but he sounded scared, too.

"Daddy!" I cried. "Please, do something." I usually never relied on him, but now, this was vital.

"I'm trying sweetie," He whispered. "Let my daughter go! Take, take me." He looked to me, about to die, and could tell this would be our last moment together. We locked eyes for a single second, and then I ran out.

An ear shattering shot was fired, and I knew that my father was dead.

As I cried here, I thought, was he really dead? I just ran after that. He could still be alive, looking for me. As I was for him. I'd always been looking, and never will stop until that day I find him.

There was a knock on the door, and I nearly jumped a foot in the air. So, I just stood there.

"Vivian! Open up!" A familiar voice yelled.

"What!" I screamed, not caring whose voice it was. Not caring at all for who wanted me now. I was left alone, I thought. No, not left…Abandoned.

Suddenly, I wasn't alone. The door exploded, and splinters of wood flew across the room.

"This is what you get for not letting me in." He said. His voice sounded familiar but I've never seen his face and I've never met him. He had upturned eye brows, pointed ears, and a sly smile on his face that made you feel like he was going to bomb your house.

"Uh, who are you?" I asked with a dumbfounded expression on my face.

"Semreh Shield." He smiled.

"The one who wrote the article about my mother?" I wondered. Suddenly, I felt like he knew more than I did.

"Yes! I'm the only one with the name! Check the internet!" He laughed, carefree, and full heartedly.

"Semreh… Why does that sound so familiar?"

"Write my name down," He smiled, and I swear I heard him say dummy, "Now go look in the mirror with it."

"Okay?" I laughed nervously, walking to the mirror across the room. I put the piece of paper in front and I gasped.

"Now there's the right reaction!" He smiled again.

"Why are you here?" I demanded.

"To see my niece and nephew. Where's Nick?" He seemed confused, and that was an odd emotion on him. It didn't work with his facial features.

"Nick. That idiot? Oh, he's in his house. I-I mean mansion. In California." I mumbled, stuttering now and then.

"You two don't live together anymore?"

"Why should we? He's the one who-"I stopped short, not wanting to go through the story again, and have another break down.

"Who _what, _Vivian?" He asked, staring me down, looking like he was playing a horrid trick on me.

"The one who killed our mother." I muttered.

"How did he do that?"

"Lord Hermes, I don't wanna be disrespectful or anything, but can you shut up and leave my house?" I said, rage fuming inside me.

"No thanks." He smiled, looking like I hadn't offended him at all.

"I want to know if my mother went the underworld, and you took her safely across?"

"I-I had to. It's been my duty for 3,000 years. I cannot and will not just toss my duties away for my… Sister." He sighed, staring at me with a strange sense of delight.

"Why do you keep doing that?"

"Doing what?"

"Apollo and you stare at me as if you're waiting for something to happen to me." I complained to him.

"It's because…. Never mind. Just um, please come with me."

"Why should I? Why can I trust you?" I wondered. "I know you're a god and stuff, but really why can I?"

"Why shouldn't you? …But just please, you can trust me, I am your uncle!"

"Well… I don't know who I can trust anymore." I muttered.

"Smart girl!" He smiled, grabbing my wrist.

"No." I whispered, but apparently he wasn't listening.

He dragged me farther and farther into the woods… In the middle of Miami?


	3. The Truth

3.

"Look! I don't know what you want, or why you're here, or why my life is so complicated now, but I don't want ANY of this. I don't want any gods looking at me like I'm some special person that's gonna save the world, or you or anyone! 'Cause I'm not. Okay!" I said, pulling out of his grip, starting to walk away.

"The fate of the world is on your shoulders." He muttered, but I think he was hoping I didn't hear.

"What did I do to deserve this?" I whispered only to myself, hoping he wouldn't hear, but he did. There was an echo. We were in a cave? How did that happen?

"Don't you know the story of poor echo?" He said, looking at me with wide sad eyes that no one could resist.

"UGH! JUST LIKE HER!" I screeched, pulling out of my trance, and suddenly Hermes let go of me. I ran, tears rolling down my cheeks.

UGH! She used to do that all the time. Make me feel terrible. She made me want to do anything for her.

"Daddy, where's mommy?" I asked, scared. I hadn't seen her for days.

"I don't know; go play Vivian, daddies busy." He said with no care, no love.

"Here daddy." I handed him the bracelet I'd made for him. I was five, but it was the best I'd ever done for my short life.

"Daddy's gonna stay this time."

"No daddy, you won't. You lying." I cried, grabbing his leg, starting to cry.

"I'm home!" My mom screamed. It was about 4 in the morning, and she was back from being a drunken whore. When I was five, I thought I wanted to be like her. Do what she did every day and every night. Now I understood.

"MOMMY!" I yelled, full of glee. Up stairs you could hear little Nicholas crying. Mom's wrists were bleeding. I looked up at her, and she stared in my eyes. But by staring at her silver moon eyes, she made me feel like I was the cause of her pain. The reason of her pain, the reason why she got drunk everyday and cut every night, and I used to think that was alright.

"Get off of me, stupid child!" She hit me against the wall, and I just smiled. This is how I thought that she showed love.

"Hit me harder!" I cried. I needed more "love" from her.

"GARRETT." She groaned. But my daddy already left. He left us. Again, I stared into her eyes.

"IT'S YOUR ENTIRE FAULT YOU STUPID GIRL. YOU'RE THE REASON YOUR FATHER LEFT! YOU'RE THE REASON OF MY DEATH!" She screamed, and picked me up, throwing me across the room, and I hit the cement wall. I had a cracked skull, sure, but I was fine with that.

"Ow mommy!" I mumbled to myself. Then the world went black for the poor little girl I used to be.

That day I got sent to the hospital, with a cracked skull, and a broken leg.

"Honey," The doctor said to me, "Where are your parents?"

"My daddy left me and mommy doesn't like people." I muttered, dizzy.

"Where is your mommy?" He smiled to me, and scared me.

"At home. She did this. She finally loves me." I smiled, feeling like death will come any second.

"There's uncle…" I smiled. Life was fading for my poor five year old self.

I was in heaven, now.

"Finally." A booming voice said to me.

"I need to go home." I said, on the verge of crying.

"Well, who _wants _you at home?" He said, inviting me closer.

"Mommy does."

"No she doesn't. Why don't you stay with us?"

"Because she loves me!" I cried.

"No she doesn't, Vivian. Why would she? You're the reason she dies." He smiled to me, and then winked.

"Goodbye, niece." He waved and smiled, and I was back in the scary hospital bed I'd been in before.

"I SAW UNCLE!" I shouted, smiling. I was so proud of myself. I only saw my family on special occasions, and I didn't even meet all of them yet.

I didn't know where I was, and I really didn't care that it was raining.

"Vivian, please get up. It's okay. Please, just get up." A female voice said, from behind the trees.

"Who are you? Show yourself!" I said, pulling out my knife slowly.

"Calm down. I'm not here to fight." She stepped out, and I almost dropped my knife. She had long curly blonde hair, in a ponytail, gray-blue eyes, and was about eight inches taller than me. She wore a pure white tunic, with gold on it.

"Who are you?"

"Athena. And you are Vivian. We've met."

"Uh, when was this?" I wondered, still shocked by her beauty and the fact she was Athena.

"You used to baby sit me!" I could remember her voice from anywhere, or any time.

"Yes, you remember." She smiled, warmly.

"How could I forget?" I smiled back, and she sighed.

"Vivian." Hermes came from the sky, using his flying shoes.

"Look, please. I don't want to be bothered right now. I've been through more than you can imagine in the past few days. I might just cry." I muttered.

"Vivian, we know you can't change what's happened, but you have to keep moving on." Hermes told me, smiling lightly.

"I don't have to do anything you tell me. I can do anything I want!" I rolled my eyes, not looking at either of them.

"Your right, you don't. But your mother-"

"Don't say a word about my mother." I nearly growled, staring at Athena with deadly eyes.

"Why can't I say anything about your mother? You barely knew her." She smiled.

"You don't know anything." I snarled at her, still staring her down, while she stared back.

"What are you doing?" Hermes mouthed to her, looking a bit confused. Right about now, I wanted to pull the bow off the quiver, grab an arrow, and just kill her.

"Your mother didn't even love you. She always talked about killing you, just for fun. Or she would plan how to kill you or how to get rid of you…" She smirked, "Trust me, that's not what love is."

"Why don't you shut your mouth…?" I threatened, as I pulled out an arrow and put it on its bow.

"Stop. Just stop." Hermes said, grabbing me, pushing me aside. Actually, I totally forgot he was here…

"It's about time we told her." He said to Athena, looking at her sternly…Or as sternly as the god of thieves can.

"Told me what?"

"Why we were staring at you." He sighed. Athena nodded to him.

"Carry on." I said anxiously.

"Well… You know how your mom always was mad at you, like specifically you and she would try to… Kill you when you were young?" He asked.

"How could I forget?" I mumbled.

"Well she did that because she wanted to escape her fate… Nick wasn't the reason why she faded. You were."

"No. No, no, no…" I whispered, in total denial. I started to shake, as I closed my eyes.

"Yes. It was you." His voice shook with fear.

"Why?"

"…She pledged herself a maiden forever because there was a prophecy that her first daughter would over throw her and take her place."

"NO." I whispered. I was shaking violently. My thoughts rushing through my heads at the speed of sound. No, no, no. I thought. I am NOT the reason.

_You are._ A voice said inside of me. A voice extremely familiar to me.

"Mom." I (apparently) breathed aloud.

_I am a part of you now, child, and will seek you through your times of trouble._

"What?" Athena asked me in surprise. I guess they could they could see the fright on my face, because at once they said: "She's here."


	4. Confused

4.

"Why? Why does it have to be me? Why?" I muttered to myself over and over, in total shock and denial.

"It's fate. There's nothing that can change that." Athena said to me, trying to comfort me.

"But… But I'm thirteen! Thirteen! Not like three thousand!" I cried and she laughed lightly.

"It doesn't matter, does it?" I asked without seeing anything as I looked up where I hoped where she would be.

"Do you think we know? No one can defy their fate forever."

"But what if you could…" I muttered to myself.

"Then we would be in the time of the Titans, you wouldn't be alive, neither would I or anyone here today."

"True." I smiled a little.

"No one can change what the Fates have planned for them." She sighed hopelessly.

"Something is going to happen to you because of the Fates?" I blurted.

"Yes and no." She sighed now, looking at me with disparity.

"What do you mean?"

"Yes, because it's already written into my fate and no because it hasn't happened yet."

"What is it? What's going to happen?"

"Enough about me, dear, are you okay?"

"Um, I guess." I mumbled, now worrying about my… Strange predicament.

_It's going to be fine, sweetheart._

_Shut up, _I thought.

"And your thoughts…?" She asked awkwardly.

"Fine." I muttered in disgust.

Athena was only with me now, because Hermes had 4,985 calls waiting, 74,003 emails, 411 voicemails, and 3,629 voicemails being sent. Wow, right?

"What am I even suppose to do? Why-Why is this like depending on the world?" I asked, with confusion.

"We- I mean I don't know, yet." She stuttered, and looked at the sky, desperately.

"None of the gods know, do they?" I asked, a sly smile on my face. Her eyes widened, looking franticly around. Thunder cracked in the sky, and Athena sighed with relief.

"I've got to go. For now. It was lovely seeing you again." She said, hugging me, then turning into a shimmer of light and disappearing.

"Whoa." I whispered in pure joy, excitement, and fear.


	5. The Prophecy Comes To A Close

5.

As I looked into the mirror, I saw something. Not a ghost, trust me, I only saw myself. I looked at someone who looked like me, with bright silver eyes, wavy black hair, so black it was almost blue, with huge freckles sprayed across my face, with zits all over my face. A normal fourteen year old. No, not normal, I thought to myself, you're a freak. You killed your mother because you were born. It's your fault that the world is going to end. It's your fault-

I pushed the mirror off the wall and it shattered into a million pieces. So much for luck. Suddenly there was a loud knock on the door.

"It's open!" I shouted. The door opened, and I almost passed out. It was Apollo, with a SEXY boy at his side. I mean this kid was absolutely GORGEOUS. Dusty blond hair, shocking blue eyes, and a perfect tan.

"Vivian!" Apollo smiled, breaking the awkward silence.

"Apollo," I smiled warmly to him, "Long time, no see."

"Oh, this is Alexander." Apollo said, gesturing to Alexander.

"Hi." I muttered.

"Hey." He smiled, and I smiled back.

"I'll leave you two alone." Apollo smiled, and left. As he walked out, I started laughing. After the door finally shut, the tension in the room lifted and it was like Alex and I had been friends for years.

"Are you like his sidekick or something?" I asked, getting some soda out of the fridge.

"Nope, I'm his son." He smiled, opening his soda and taking a huge gulp.

"Why are you following him around? The gods usually just abandon their kids, right?" I asked.

"Well, kind of. But apparently, I'm "special.""

"Oh, I know how that feels."

"No, you don't." He sighed.

"Then explain what you've been through." I demanded.

"That's none of your business. Tell me yours." He demanded back.

"You really want to know what I've been through?" I asked, walking closer to him.

_Calm down._

"That's why I asked."

"Here you go. I wasn't supposed to be born. When I was, my mother tried to kill me. My mother is Artemis. She pledged to be a maiden forever because there was a prophecy that her first child would replace her. She couldn't kill me. She had almost succeeded over a hundred times, but the police or the ambulance would be her right before. She "died" nine days ago. Her spirit now lives inside of me. And now my life depends on the world. Is that good enough for you?" I nearly shouted, standing right in front of him. Then, he did the impossible. He kissed me. No, not a make out, but we kissed. For a pretty long time. I've never kissed anyone before, and it felt so good. He pulled back and just looked at me.

All I could think in those seconds where he stared into my eyes was; he's my cousin. But that didn't matter. In demigods such as him and me, the only actual DNA was from our mortal parents.

"Uh, wow." I heard the door shut, as a random stranger walked into my house.

"Who's this?" I asked Alexander, as he shrugged his shoulders.

"He doesn't know me… Yet. But, my name is Maybella." She held out her hand confidently, waiting for either of us to shake it. I had the guts to, so I stuck out my hand and shook back.

"Well, of course, I'm a demigod. My mother's Athena." She smiled in pure delight.

"And why are you in my house?" I asked, stepping away from her.

"Because. We're all here for something important," She paused, waiting to see if we knew the answer, "Taking over the job our parents failed to do." Alex and I gasped, probably looking absolutely priceless.

"W-what?" Alexander nearly screamed.

"You heard me."

"No," I whispered, "No one should have a fate like that…. No."

"Your mother was a tad too violent, Vivy. And your father a bit too human." She looked less delighted now, as if she hated her fate, and wanted us to feel the pain too.

"Can't they just change?" Alexander asked, still as shocked as I.

"The gods will change for no one. That's why they chose us. We are what they should've been." She smiled again.

_She's lying. That was not the reason._

_SHUT UP,_ I thought back.

I know, it was rude… But it's not like I care.

"How do we know we can trust you?" I asked bravely.

"How do I know I can trust you?" She asked back, smirking.

"Stop being such a smart ass." Alexander said, with a such a force that Maybella went into shock.


End file.
